PhD Student Invited to Presidential Luncheon

Department of Public Administration PhD student Jekyung Lee was invited to the presidential luncheon for Korean-Americans by the 19th President of South Korea Moon Jae-In in Washington D.C.. President Moon who came for the first bilateral summit with the President Trump to assert the significance of the US-South Korea alliance. The President and the first lady hosted a luncheon to communicate with 500 Korean-American community and business leaders, joined by Maryland governor Larry Hogan and his wife who is also of Korean descent.

Among the 500 attendants eighteen Korean Americans in Georgia were invited including the President of the National Unification Advisory Council Republic of Korea-Atlanta Chapter, and the former President of the Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta. Jekyung Lee was one of the two scholar invitees in Georgia. The other Georgia scholar was Georgia Institute of Technology professor Seung-Soon Jang, who has been a state leader of democratic movement against corruption scandals of the former president Park, and government failure on Sewol Ferry tragedy. Mr. Lee made the declaration of the state of affairs demanding democracy and justice at the peaceful demonstration against corrupted president Park in Atlanta on November 2016.

Mr. Lee also met other top officials including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea Kang Kyung-Wha, the first woman appointed to this position, Chief of Staff for Policy Jang Ha-Sung, and Congressman Ahn Min Suk. President Moon encouraged Korean-Americans to work together to bolster the foundation of the development of the Korean-American Society, and let them know the important role they play in the two countries’ alliance.